Saturday, January 21, 2012

Book Review: The Resignation of Eve by Jim Henderson

The Resignation of Eve explains that women are leaving congregations at a high rate these days and gives the reader an idea about what ministries and serving positions typically shut down when they do. It is filled with many stories from women who seem frustrated with not being allowed to use their abilities to serve to their fullest potential. The stories are separated into the categories of “resigned to”, “resigned from”, and “re-signed” to their congregations. The topic of women leading congregations is touched on a lot as well as other ways women can lead where they are not directly teaching men.

When I first agreed to review this book I didn’t think it was going to focus so much on encouraging women to lead congregations. I don’t think I’ve ever been in favor of women leading congregations because I’ve run across some Biblical passages that seem to give me the clear indication that women are not supposed to teach men. On the other hand, it does appear to me that this book tries to encourage women in other areas to try to go forward with what God has put upon their hearts and minds to do, such as being responsible for ministries and giving their testimonies when they feel called to. As of right now, I cannot support any encouragement for women leading congregations based on what I have come to understand through Scripture but I can be in favor of women leading children’s and women’s ministries and facilitating/running mixed male/female ministries or programs where they aren’t directly teaching men in their congregation if God puts that call upon their lives.

I cannot give this book a very high rating because of my own personal beliefs that I have learned through Scripture about how women are not supposed to teach men, although I am considering the fact that women are encouraged in this book to serve within their congregations in other ways.

My Rating = 2.5 out of 5 stars

Disclosure of material connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale Publishing for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

1 comment:

Thanks for the thoughtful review of Jim’s book. To be transparent, I want it known I am a friend of Jim’s and work “with” him. It has been fun to see the conversations that have been stimulated by this book. It is a conversation that has now been made public. Long overdue.

After more than 50 years in the church, I currently find myself to be a church refugee. I was always a key volunteer in church and five years on staff at a megachurch before leaving.

It seems to me that people/church leadership are more rigid today about women not leading men than almost anytime I can remember.

I’d like to invite you and your readers to our Resignation of Eve Cloud Conference on Feb. 27 @8pm EST – you only need a telephone to join the call and have a chance to participate in a conversation with Jim and the women of RoE when we virtually break you into small groups.